San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-09-12
A Dangerous Game.
BY THE AUTHOR OF my DEAREST HEART"


but common grief could have brought about.
never thought Of leaving them, for SEEM
ed TO be almost one of them then. But
Hilda still stood aloof, cold and calm. What
right had |, a stranger, TO intrude upon their
family circle? 1t was nothing to her that
had been with him during the last months
of his life more than any one else; it was
worse than nothing that was the promised
wife of his nephew Gilbert
GwendOline, Annis and | were almost as
sisters, and Gwendoline was very quiet, half
numbed by the sudden presence of death
and its cold influence on her feverish soul.
The news had been telegraphed to Lord
Martin Pomeroy, and he answered briefly
that he would be in England to Join his
wife as quickly as possible.
heard the message with feeling of re-
lief. GwendOline said nothing, and betray-
ed nothing of pleasure or regret Gilbert
and Uric did not come to the house.
ut would not be right, Viola" Gilbert
said. 81 will do nothing that he would not
have me do while he was alive. Poor uncle
Richard! | wish he had just mentioned us
before he died. to show that he had forgiven
u.s."
And | lOnged to tell him what Mr.. Gas
coigne had said to me; but my promise was
thousand times more sacred now that he
could not return to charge me with the
breaking of it,
'Do you not think" l asked, that his
consent to Annis's engagement was proof
of it%'
mo. He only acquieSced I'm that as he
acquieSced in ours, because he did not think
it important enough to object to, and be-
cause he did not believe it would hold. Car
den tells me that uncle Richard said to him
that he had very different views for both
Annis and you. You were great favOrite
with the old gentleman, you know, dear,
and i believe Garden was half I'm love with
you himself"
felt the tell-tale color rush furiously to
my brow.
Don't believe anything Mr.. Garden tells
you, Gilbertp cried.
He smiled, but looked at me little curl.
ously.
even Garden may slip into truths once
IN way" he answered.
Two or three distant connections of Mr..
Gascoigne came down to the funeral, and
half Norbury was assembled in the grave
yard of the little church of Marlands St.
Gabriel when he was laid in the vault of his
fathers. The summer sun shOne though the
windows upon the stone monuments of Gas
cOignes in armOr, Gascoignes In ruffs, and
Gascoignes by Flaxman and Chantry that
were the admiration of all stray visitors to
the old edifice; and we stood in our sad
black dresses and listened to the clergy
mans solemn words. By the grave-side
flowers were In bloom, and great wreaths
thn nI H.
churchyard stretched the fields white unto
harvest"
Crawford Garden was there, of course,
with hypocritiCal sorrow on his countenance,
thinking perhaps to find himself master Of
the Grange in few hours; and the dead
mans nephewS were there also, but they
did not go back with us to the house, where
the blinds were now raised, and the great
dining-rOOm, never before used while had
been at the Grange, was formally arranged
for the reading of the will. They would not
have it supposed that they expected any
thing from the old man.
l had no wish to join the family assem-
blage. did not want to be absent from the
funeral, but the will had no interest for me
since it did not concern Gilbert And yet
everybody was little agitated and anxious,
and had been ever since Mr.. GascOigne's
death, although until he was buried they
had for decency's sake, hidden the feeling.
No one knew to whom st. Gabriel's
Grange was bequeathed. l went upstairs
and wandered into the quaint old room, so
familiar, so strangely empty. l seemed to
see Mr.. GaScOigne in the great armchair by
the carved stone chimney-piece, and felt an
impulse to push the little chess-table to the
chairs side and arrange the pieces on the
squares.
As stood in the centre of the room, look
ing round at the figures in armor and the
tapestry and the deep windows and the
high-backed pianO-which | was soon to
leave, with all else in st. Gabriel's Grange,
perhaps never to see again-Annis came to
me and laid soft hand on my shoulder.
"Viola, have been looking for you. Come
down; you are one of us now, you know"
II thought your sisters would consider it
better that | should stay away as Gilbert
has done"
mo; your absence is noticed, and Mr..
Garden says you are to be present. And
want yOu-it all seems so dreadful, Viola.
wish they would let me stay away"
Her pretty mouth was qulyering and her
eyes were full of tears. | put my arm round
her, and together we went into the dining
hall.
Dark figures were seated rOund-men and
women; the two sisters with their beautiful
pale faces set off by the Grape on their dull
black gowns; two or three elderly gentle
men, cousins of old Mr.. GascOigne, one
military, another a country squire; and the
wife of the latter stout and cOmely, her
round gOOd-natuTed cOuntenance preterna-
turally solemn. There were the servants,
sitting apart, serious and demure-Mr. Gas
cOigne's old servant, honestly grieying over
the loss Of his master; and Mrs. Creams,
supremacy conscious of her position; Lucy,
with every smile banished from her rosy
face; and the FTenchwOman Mathilde, not
ing everything from the corners Of her black
eyes; and all the other dOmestics in new
black suits, half awestruck by the gravity
of the proceedings.
Crawford Garden sat at the head Of the
table, and by his side was an elderly pro-
fesSiOnal-lOOking man whom | knew to be
the London lawyer.
AnniS and | retreated into a corner of the
long room, and prepared ourselves to listen.
Mr.. Garden got up to make his first an
nOuncement, and spoke in his clear soft ac-
cents; but detected conscious CLEAN In
his eyes and suppressed smile lurking be-
meath the corners of his dark mustache.
lnstinctiyely felt that all hour of triumph
for him must be coming; and yet trusted
my old master too well to be as confident OF
it as was the man himself.
II believe" he began, ''it will be a matter
Of considerable surprise to you that the la
mented gentleman whose loss we are de-
plOring, though he was my client and the
client of my predecessor in all his business
arrangements, did not confde his latest